Car-fender.



N0. 627,584. Patented June 27, I899. V. T. LYNCH.

CAR FENDER.

(Application filed Jan. 13. 1899.

No Model.)

5 Mme who's, Var/10221. 2 ymk $511253 Gamma wi/bweooeo Tm: "cams Pan-ms co HOTO-UTHO.- WASHINOYCIN. u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VERNON T. LYNCH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF FI'FTY ONE ONE- HUNDREDTHS TO JOHN M. ROACH, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0.- 627,584, dated June 27, 1899.

Application filed January 13, 1899. Serial No. 702,048. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VERNON T. LYNCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Car-Fenders, (Case No. 2,) of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description. 7 My invention] relates to car-fenders, and

10 its object is, first, to provide a fender which may normally be maintained several inches from the ground in order to escape small obstructions and yet which when called into operation will automatically take a position as effective as though it were normally carried with its nose depressed and nearly touching the ground, and, secondly, my invention contemplates an improved construction whereby the fender may be folded up out of. the way when it is not required, this being done without the necessity of removing any of the parts from the car.

In accordance with my invention the fender is connected with the car by pivoted or hinged parts in the nature of links, so that it ordinarily may occupy one of two positionsthat is, either with its forward'end or nose in a comparatively elevated position (say six or eight inches from the track) or with its nose o depressed and almost touching the track.

Springs are provided for normally maintaining the fender in its elevated position; but it is supported by an ingenious arrangement of levers in such away that when it strikes any 5 obstruction or when any weight is imposed upon it the tension of the spring is overcome and the nose of the fender is depressed to scoop up the obstruction.

My invention will be more readily under- 0 stood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of the forward part of a car which is equipped with the fender of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the 5 fender. Fig. 3 is a detail view thereof, showing its normal posit-ion and also showing in dotted lines an alternative position.

The same letters of reference are used to designate the same parts in each of the figures.

Generally speaking, the fender may be said to consist'of two members, one of which, a, normally occupies a substantially horizontal position and the other member of which, 12, hinged thereto, is inclined at an angle and may be considered as a link connecting the horizontal member with the framework of the car. The relation between the horizontal member a, and the inclined member I) is somewhat similar to that existing between the seat and the back of a chair. The main framework of the horizontal membera may be constructed of gas-pipe, and I preferably form the body portion of a lattice-work a of maple slats. The inclined member I) is similarly constructed of gas-pipepfilled in with latticework I). The upper edge ofthe inclined member 12 is engaged by hooks 0 upon the front of the car and is supported thereby. The hooks c are preferably provided with guards c, which normally prevent the inclined member from being disengaged, but which may be lifted when desired into the position illustrated in dotted lines'in Fig. 3 to permit the release of the inclined member for purposes hereinafter to be set forth.

The horizontal member is provided with two rearwardly-projecting arms a 0. which are pivoted at the points (1' to curved swinging brackets or links (1, which in turn are pivotally mounted at d upon the frame of thecar.

The rear extremities of the arms a are connected with the points (1 by retractile springs The horizontal member a is thus supported upon the hinged or pivoted parts 6 and d, so that it has a swinging motion about the same. The springs e 6, however, yieldingly maintain it in the position indicated by full lines in Figs. 1 and .3, stops f f being provided upon the swinging brackets 01 to limit the'relative movement of the parts. If a considerable weight were imposed upon the fender, however, or if it should strike a person end on, the tension of the spring would be overcome,

. and the fender would swing about its hinged parts and drop to the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, so as to act effectively as a scoop and prevent the person frombeing caught under the fender. The advantage of this construction will be apparent, since heretofore it has been very difficult to construct a fender which would be effective in time of need and yet which would clear the small obstructions which are often found upon the streets of a city.

It is often desirable to relieve the car from the incumbrance of thefender-as, for instance, when the car is run into the barns and I have made provision for this by connecting the inclined member I) to the body of the car in such a way that it may readily be detached therefrom by simply raising the guard-pieces c c and lifting the inclined member off the hooks c, whereupon it may be rotated about its hinge until it is in juxtaposition with the horizontal member, and the whole fender may then be rotated about the pivots (1 until it occupies the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. I have found this construction to be of great advantage, since the front of the ear is thus practically freed from the incumbrance of the fender, and much inconvenience is avoided.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a folding ear-fender, the combination with a member a having rigid side bars normally held substantially in a horizontal position above the track, of a second member I) attached to the car in an angular position with respect to said member a, the two members being pivotally mounted and being linked together, whereby they may be folded out of the way to substantially a vertical plane, and swinging links d having link connection with and connecting member a with the car and coacting with member I) to depress the forward edge of said member a when an obstruction is encountered, the points of connection of links d with the member a being to the rear of the points of connection of the member Z) with the member a substantially as described.

2. In a car-fender of the class described, the combination with a member to having rigid side bars normally held substantially in a horizontal position above the track, of a second member I) attached to the ear in an angular position with respect to said member a, the two members being pivotally mounted, whereby they may be folded out of the way to substantially a vertical plane, and link connections securing the fender to the ear adapted to depress the forward edge of said fender when an obstruction is encountered, substantially as described.

3. In a car-fender, the combination with a horizontal fender portion at having rigid side bars, of an angularly-disposed fender portion Z) hinged upon and forming a link connection between the car and said horizontal member, a link connection cl uniting the car and fender portion a, and automatic means for normally maintaining the forward edge of the fender portion a in an elevated position while automatically operating to permit it to swing downward when an obstruction is encountered, substantially as described.

4. In a car-fender, the combination with a horizontal member having rigid side bars, of an inclined member hinged thereto and connecting the same with the car, said inclined member being connected with the car in a manner to permit of a downward and rearward or upward and forward motion relatively thereto, a second link portion connecting the rear portion of the fender with the car-body and likewise permitting a swinging motion relatively thereto, a spring tending to maintain the nose of the fender in an elevated position, and a stop for limiting the upward movement thereof, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 0th day of January, A. D. 1899.

VERNON T. LYNCH.

\Vitnesses:

D. W. C. TANNER, Gnonen L. Canes. 

